First case of Acute Flaccid Myelitis confirmed in Michigan

LANSING, Mich. — The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has confirmed the first Michigan case of a rare, polio-like illness hat affects the spinal cord .

The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services says in a news release it was apprised Wednesday by the CDC a child from Wayne County is the first person confirmed to have Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM). That’s a condition affecting the nervous system and can cause muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak, according to the CDC. Most patients also report having a mild respiratory illness or fever “consistent with a viral infection before developing AFM”.

Seven suspected cases of AFM in Michigan are still being investigated, according to the MDHHS. Among the suspected cases was one in Ottawa County that was reported in October. Other cases were in Ingham, Macomb and Oakland counties.

It says the CDCD had confirmed 134 cases of AFM in 33 states, as of November 30. And the number of cases has risen since 2014, although the CDC estimates that less than one- to two-million children in the United States will get AFM annually.

About 90 percent of the cases are children who have suffered muscle weakness or paralysis, including in the face, neck, back or limbs. The symptoms tend to occur about a week after they had a fever and respiratory illness.

For more information, visit the MDHHS Communicable Disease Information and Resources website, or CDC.gov/AFM.